𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝗲, 𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗽𝗽𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

When Tomi Amos, CEO of KIPP Colorado Public Schools, invited me to attend a basketball game to see our Kippsters in action, I’ll admit—I was surprised. As a proud KIPP board member, I thought, “A basketball game? Really?” As an immigrant woman, I’ve been conditioned to believe that I need to work 24/7 and that taking time out for something like a basketball game might not be the best use of my time.

But I went. And from the moment we entered Ball Arena, I was taken aback by the “red tape” I encountered. First, there was security, then a series of boundaries that made me question whether I was even supposed to be there. I joked with Tomi, saying, “I don’t do well with ‘red tape’,” but someone was following us, asking, “Did you see the red tape?” I didn’t need permission to support our Kippsters, but I was reminded that sometimes, rules and systems are more complicated than they need to be.

Once we got to our seats, I was excited to get a picture with our girls’ basketball team. Again, more barriers: “You can’t be here,” someone said. Another person came up and asked, “Do you understand what we’re saying?” I looked at her and responded, “It’s clear that you’re not understanding me!” I may not understand basketball, but I understood one thing: I was there to support our kids—that’s all that mattered.

I share this because it’s a great reminder of how assumptions—whether in sports, public health, or life—can lead to miscommunication. In public health, we sometimes create programs and assume our communities know exactly what we’re trying to do. The way people assumed I understood the rules of basketball is similar to how we often assume people understand our systems. Where’s the equity in that?

By the way, I still don’t understand basketball, but I do understand the importance of showing up. I stayed because I wanted our KIPPsters to know they had our full support - our CEO and board in addition to their parents and families.

What an inspiring experience! It reminded me that “red tape” exists at every level of our lives—not just in public health but everywhere. I’ll leave you with some pictures from the game to celebrate our Kippsters and the importance of showing up, no matter the obstacles!

#KIPPColorado #EquityInAction #SupportOurKids #CommunityBuilding